Furnace regenerator



1955 E. E. LAIL 2,726,855

FURNACE REGENERATOR Filed Aug. 30, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 E667 i' i ijf i iiifiiiif,,1 3

2 33 INVENTOR.

fR/VESTELA/L ATTORNEYS.

Dec. 13, 1955 E. E. LAIL FURNACE REGENERATOR Filed Aug. 50, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. ERNEST E. LA IL A TTOR/VEYS.

United States ice 2,726,855 FURNACE REGENERATOR Ernest E. Lail, A0101 Springs, N. Y. Application August so, 1952, Serial No. 307,187

9 Claims. 01. 263-51 This invention relates generally tofurnacesof the reversing or regenerative type, and more particularly to an improved checker or regenerator arrangement for such furnaces. v

The checker arrangements now commonly used for purposes of regeneration possess certain severe disadvantages since they utilize vertically extending ducts or passages through the checkers. It is extremely difilcult'to clean such checker passages because of the roof directly over the checker which prevents the workers-fromseeing what they are doing. As a result, it is virtually impossible to properly clean such checkers, and even with almost continuous elfort after about one hundred heats at least half of the checker area is plugged so tightly that air and gases cannot pass therethrough, and after about one hundred and fifty heats almost nine-tenths of the checker area is no longer useable. Under these conditions, regeneration is at a very low point and is extremely inelficient, and the pull of the furnace stack is insuflicient to take away the furnace exhaust, resulting in damage to the furnace lining and end wall, and to other points. In addition, the time required for the heats becomesexcessive, and fuel consumption increases for each ton of steel produced in the furnace. Also, because of the consequent variation in the amount and temperature of air passing through the vertical checker, it is virtually impossible to devise an automatic control that will feed air to the furnace under constant conditions from start to finish of a particular campaign.

While some attempts have been made to overcome these deficiencies and disadvantages by utilizing a horizontal checker arrangement, such prior art efforts have not completely solved the aforesaid problems. For example, in one prior art arrangement, the checkers are-arranged in vertically superposed layers and infiltration tends to result by reason of exposure to coldwalls between the checker layers, and by reason of the fact that the sides of the checkers abut cold walls. Furthermore, the use of vertically superposed layers to produce greater checker length requires more room than usual below ground level. In addition, the upper checker layer is excessively heated compared to the lower layers, whereby the checker area is not evenly heated throughout, and means must be provided for protecting such upper layer. For these and other reasons, such a prior art arrangement is of rela tively low efficiency, requires relatively frequent cleaning, and otherwise fails to completely satisfactorily solve the aforesaid problems.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a furnace checker arrangement wherein the checker passages can be readily cleaned and kept clean'with a minimum of expense and efiort and a maximum of efliiency.

In addition, it is an object of this invention to provide a regenerator or checker arrangement wherein difierent parts of the checker area can be cleaned at difierent times, rotating the parts being cleaned wherebyto provide a specific time interval between cleanings of the same part,

Patented Dec. 13, 1955 isfactory level even if a portion of the checker area should become clogged for a period of time.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a furnace regenerator wherein the regenerator is heated evenly throughout its entire area, thus avoiding undue heating of any one part thereof. I

Another object of this invention is to provide a furnace regenerator wherein exposure of the heated air or air to be heated to cold walls is reduced to a minimum, whereby to prevent any damage or decreased elficiency by reason of infiltration.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a furnace checker arrangement which does not require an undue or unusual amount of space in any direction.

A further object of this invention is toprovide a relatively simple furnace checker arrangement which does not require many of the complex items now thought necessary in conventional checker installations, simplifying the sewers, reducing the number of valves, discarding air fans, and the like.

The foregoing and other objects will become immediately apparent upon reading the ensuing detailed description, taken together with the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side view in vertical section through my im proved furnace checker arrangement, showing the furnace uptake and the stack, and taken about on line II of Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a top view in horizontal section taken about on line II-II of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a front view in vertical section taken about on line III-III of Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawings, my improved checker arrangement is shown in Fig. 1 at one end of a conventional reversing furnace, it being understood that a duplicate checker arrangement will be found at the other end of the furnace. The furnace, which is of any conventional construction, is generally designated 1, and includes a slag pocket 2 and an uptake 3, the slag pocket terminating at its outer end in an inclined surface 4 and a bridge wall 5. If desired, there may be provided an air cooled passageway 6 to permit cooling and protecting of the bridge wall. Bridge wall 5 serves to define the lower part of the usual fantail arch, and the furnace is provided with appropriate conventional supporting and reinforcing structures the details of which need not be set forth herein since they are well known and form no part of my invention.

The checker or regenerator is generally designated '7, and is enclosed by a top wall 8 and side walls'9, 1t and 11. Checker 7 is of the single surface type, wherein the heat of the outgoing or 01f gases is applied to and absorbed by' the checker, and is given back to the incoming cold air from the same surfaces of the checker wihch received the heat. According to my invention, checker 7 is divided into two sections or passes 12 and 13, arranged in spaced apart side-by-side relation, each formed in a conventional manner of known checker brick material the details of which form no part of this invention, and each provided-with multiple substantially horizontal ducts 14 extending therethrough towards side walls 9 and 11 and substantially parallel to side wall 10. A wall 15 extends across the front end of passes 12 and 13, and said checker passes are spaced from the fantail arch and bridge wall 5 whereby to provide a vertically extending passage 16 therebetween, which passage terminates at its lower end in asoot pocket or passages, said ducts receiving and providing a path first for olf gases from the furnace and then for air passing to the furnace when the furnace is reversed, means defining multiple clean-out openings in said walls aligned with said ducts, and removable closures for said openings.

5. A reversing furnace regenerator comprising, a pair of regenerator sections arranged in parallel and spaced apart in side-by-side relation with their adjacent sides defining a first passage therebetween, means closing said first passage at one end thereof, walls spaced from the remote sides of said sections to define therewith second passages between said walls and said sections, means closing said second passages at the end thereof remote from the closed end of said first passage, each of said first and second passages tapering inwardly from the open end to the closed end thereof and from the bottom to the top thereof, whereby to evenly distribute ofi gases and air to said sections, and multiple substantially horizontal ducts extending in generally opposite directions through each of said sections between said first passage and said second passages for receiving and providing a path first for otf gases from the furnace and then for air passing to the furnace when it is reversed.

6. A reversing furnace regenerator comprising, dual regenerator sections arranged in parallel in spaced apart side-by-side relation with their adjacent sides defining a first passage therebetween, means closing said first passage at one end thereof, walls spaced from the remote sides of said sections to define therewith second passages between said walls and said sections, means closing said second passages at the end thereof remote from the closed end of said first passage, each of said first and second passages tapering inwardly from the open end to the closed end thereof and from the bottom to the top thereof, and multiple substantially horizontal ducts extending in generally opposite directions through each of said sections between said first passage and said second passages for receiving and providing a path first for ofi gases from the furnace and then for air passing to the furnace when it is reversed, the degree of taper of each of said passages being such as to cause a variation in passage area between any two points spaced therealong substantially corresponding to the total duct area between said points, whereby to evenly distribute oif gases and air to said sections.

7. In combination with a reversing furnace, a regenerator therefor at one end thereof comprising, a pair of regenerator sections arranged in parallel in spaced apart side-by-side relation to define a first passage between adjacent sides thereof, walls spaced from the remote sides of said sections to define therewith second passages between said walls and said sections, multiple substantially horizontal ducts extending in generally opposite directions through each of said sections between said first and second passages for receiving and providing a path first for off gases passing from the furnace and then for air passing to the furnace when it is reversed, said first and second passages terminating at their lower ends in corresponding first and second sewers in open communication therewith, a first cross sewer at the end of said sections remote from said furnace communicating with said second sewers and with an exhaust passage, a removable closure between said first sewer and said first cross sewer, a second cross sewer at the end of said sections adjacent said furnace communicating with said first passage, removable closures between said second sewers and said second cross sewer, and removable closures at opposite ends of said first and second cross sewers.

8. A reversing furnace regenerator comprising, a pair of regenerator sections arranged in parallel in spaced apart side-by-side relation whereby their adjacent side walls define a first passage therebetween, wall means spaced from the remote side walls of said sections to define therewith second passages between said wall means and said remote side walls, multiple substantially horizontal ducts in each of said sections extending in generally opposite directions between said first and second passages for receiving and providing a path first for on gases from the furnace and then for air passing to the furnace when it is reversed, means defining clean-out openings in said wall means aligned with said ducts, removable closures for said openings, and a soot baffle wall extending lengthwise of said first passage in spaced relation with said adjacent side walls, said adjacent side walls converging inwardly and upwardly along their vertical extent and inwardly toward one end thereof along their lengthwise extent, and said remote side walls diverging upwardly along their vertical extent and toward the end thereof remote from said one end of said adjacent side walls along their lengthwise extent.

9. A reversing furnace regenerator comprising, a pair of regenerator sections arranged in parallel in spaced apart side-by-side relation to define a first passage between adjacent sides thereof, walls spaced from the remote sides of said sections to define second passages between said walls and said remote sides, said first passage tapering inwardly from one end thereof to the other and each of said second passages tapering inwardly from the end thereof adjacent said other end of said first passage to the opposite end thereof, and multiple substantially horizontal ducts extending in generally opposite directions through said sections from said first passage to said second passages, said ducts receiving and providing a path first for off gases passing from an associated furnace and then for air passing to the furnace when it is reversed.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 125,147 Sellers Apr. 2, 1872 135,640 Frank Feb. 11, 1873 1,188,502 Smythe June 27, 1916 1,191,033 Reynolds July 11, 1916 1,688,394 Manker Oct. 23, 1928 1,732,138 Naismuth et a1. Oct. 15, 1929 1,895,302 Wheeler et al. Jan. 24, 1933 2,176,270 Morton Oct. 17, 1939 2,429,880 Hays Oct. 28, 1947 

